Marvelous marbled underwater scenes.In an effort to intrigue my fifth graders with a novel and spontaneous approach to line and movement, I introduced paper marbling Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to marble or other stone, hence the name. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to a sheet of as a means to create remarkable decorative surface designs. To marble paper, some kind of pigment, usually oil or acrylic paint, is floated upon the surface of a liquid such as water or liquid starch. In the method historically used in Europe, water and carrageenan car·ra·geen·an or car·ra·geen·in n. Any of a group of closely related colloids derived from several red algae, widely used as a thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying, or suspending agent in pharmaceuticals. , a gel made from seaweed seaweed, name commonly used for the multicellular marine algae. Simpler forms, consisting of one cell (e.g., the diatom) or of a few cells, are not generally called seaweeds; these tiny plants help to make up plankton. , are combined to make a thickened thick·en tr. & intr.v. thick·ened, thick·en·ing, thick·ens 1. To make or become thick or thicker: Thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The crowd thickened near the doorway. 2. liquid, or size, upon which oil paints are floated and moved with tools to make flowing patterns. I first tried a number of different methods, including some commercial kits, but had the most success with the simplest ingredients--colored chalk and water. My students began with a discussion of the possibilities of creatures, plants, and objects that could be found beneath the surface of the water, either in an aquarium or fresh or salt water. We watched a video about life in the sea and talked about what might be found in students' home aquariums and what they remembered from their own experiences and movies like Finding Nemo. I also showed students a real (but dried) seahorse, starfish, sand dollars, coral, and shells. Beginning with Collage Because of space limitations, students could not all marble their papers at the same time, so they first began working on the collage elements they would add to their finished marbled mar·bled adj. 1. Made of or covered with marble: a marbled façade. 2. Having a mix of fat and lean: a well-marbled beef roast. Adj. 1. backgrounds. I made available different colors of construction paper and regular and decorative scissors scissors Cutting instrument or tool consisting of a pair of opposed metal blades that meet and cut when the handles at their ends are brought together. Modern scissors are of two types: the more usual pivoted blades have a rivet or screw connection between the cutting ends , as well as markers. Students also had access to books and images I had collected of underwater creatures and structures. They were encouraged to use both two- and three-dimensional collage elements. Since it would take several classes to marble paper for the entire class, students saved their collage papers in folders between classes. Marbling marbling, in bookbinding, a process of coloring the sides, edges, or end papers of a book in a design that suggests the veins and mottles of marble. In tree marbling, as of tree calf bindings, the design suggests also the trunk and branches of a tree. Background Papers I worked with students individually at two stations to create their marbled papers. We used two large, flat trays in two sinks with two pairs of students at a time (each pair worked as a team to help each other). Each tray contained water to the depth of 1" (2.5 cm). Students wrote their names in pencil on the back of white drawing paper, chose three compatible colors of chalk from a set of eight, and scraped chalk dust Noun 1. chalk dust - dust resulting from writing with a piece of chalk; "chalk dust covered the teacher's hands" dust - fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air; "the furniture was covered with dust" over the water with the edge of an open pair of scissors. A pencil or wide-tooth comb was used to gently create a flowing pattern in the chalk. The paper was lowered facedown on the surface of the water just until it just touched the surface, then it was quickly lifted off. Students placed the wet paper on a drying rack A drying rack is a device intended for hanging clothing to dry. Usually constructed from wood or metal, there are many types of drying racks, including large, stationary outdoor racks, smaller, folding portable racks, and wall wounted drying racks. before returning to their collage work. Once the papers were dry, I flattened flat·ten v. flat·tened, flat·ten·ing, flat·tens v.tr. 1. To make flat or flatter. 2. To knock down; lay low: The boxer was flattened with one punch. them under some heavy books. To finish, students added their collage elements to the dried marbled paper. I displayed all the completed underwater scenes of my fifth graders in the front hall at school, along with a description of the process. Further Possibilities Other approaches to paper marbling include using specific colors of both chalk and background colors, cutting shapes for collage out of the marbled paper (similar to author Eric Carle's approach), painting on the marbled paper, or folding the finished paper and using it as the covers of a book. The results of this simple process are spectacular, no matter how they are incorporated into works of art. Objectives Students will: * demonstrate recognition of the illusion of line and movement in marbled papers. * effectively create marbled papers and use them as the background of an underwater collage. Procedures for Paper Marbling Pour water in a shallow pan to a depth of 1". Select three colors of chalk. Hold one piece of the chalk over the pan of water and scrape it with a sharp straight-edge, such as a blade of an open pair of scissors, so that the chalk dust falls over the water. Keep scraping and distribute the chalk dust all over the water. Some of the chalk dust will sink to the bottom of the pan, but most will float on top of the water. Repeat the same procedures with the other two colors. Using a wide-tooth comb or pencil, gently swirl the water to form curvilinear curvilinear a line appearing as a curve; nonlinear. curvilinear regression see curvilinear regression. patterns in the chalk. Hold a piece of paper that will fit in the pan in a "U" shape over the water. Let the center of the paper touch the water first, then release it so that the whole piece is flat on top of the water. Quickly remove the paper with fingers or tongs tongs long-handled, about 3 feet, shaped like pincers with knobs on the ends of the grasping blades. Applied by standing behind the subject in a confined space and closing the jaws to grasp the animal's head just below the ears. as soon as it fully contacts the water. It should not soak up the water; it should just collect the chalk dust on the surface of the water. Lay the paper on a drying rack or paper towels to dry. Press flat when dry. (I cover a stack of marbled papers with heavy books overnight.) History A number of scholars believe that marbling originated in China more than 2000 years ago and spread to Japan as early as the twelfth century, where it is still known as suminagashi. Marbled paper probably reached Europe along the silk route from the Far East to Turkey, where the process became secretive as marbled papers were cleverly used as forgery-proof backgrounds for official documents. Returning crusaders brought the knowledge of the techniques of marbling to Western Europe Western Europe The countries of western Europe, especially those that are allied with the United States and Canada in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (established 1949 and usually known as NATO). , where it became popular, especially for book endpapers. Today, Venice is the European city most identified with paper marbling. NATIONAL STANDARD Students use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories. WEB LINKS Suminagashi: The Ancient Art of Japanese Marbling www.suminagashi.com Shaving Cream Marbling www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/marbling.htm Venice Paper: Hand Decorated Marbled Paper www.lemarcheonline.net/venicepaper/ Marbling a la Haring www.haringkids.com/lessons/envs/live/htdocs/lesson105.htm Materials * white drawing paper, 9 x 12" (23 x30.5 cm) or 12 x 18" (30.5 x 46 cm) * shallow pans slightly larger than the size of the chosen paper * water * colored paper chalk or other large-diameter chalk * variety of colored not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color construction papers * pencils * scissors * white glue * drying rack or paper towels Nancy Walkup walk·up also walk-up n. 1. An apartment house or office building with no elevator. 2. An apartment or office in a building with no elevator. is an art specialist at W. S. Ryan Elementary in Denton, Texas Denton is a city in the United States and the county seat of Denton County, Texas. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 80,537, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. . nwalkup@dentonisd.org |
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